The Swedish Horror Movie that Deserves an Oscar

I recently saw a vampire movie. It was amazing. It was not Twilight. Well, it was sort of like Twilight, only better. And Swedish.

Let the Right One In, named for the novel on which it was based, was not, however, nominated for an Oscar last week — one of several snubs by the Academy, and certainly the one that grinded the gears of Harry Knowles over at Ain't It Cool News. Looks like the Swedes forgot that extra umlaut on their entry form.

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Alas, the film tells the story of Oskar, a lonely twelve-year-old boy with a Bay City Rollers haircut living in a housing project on the outskirts of Stockholm. Oskar is ignored at home and bullied at school. In a word, Oskar's life sucks.

But things quickly change for poor little Oskar. A new girl moves in next door. Never mind that her arrival coincides with a string of grisly murders around town. Or that she looks a little pale. Or that she doesn't go to school. Or that she never seems to wear a jacket. For some reason, this girl digs Oskar.

You probably get where this is going:

There's plenty to like about Let the Right One In — the stunning cinematography, the subtle writing, the occasional but awesome bits of gore — but what really sealed the deal for me is that this film reminded me of what it felt like to be Oskar's age. To be Oskar's age was to feel alone and powerless in a world of bullies and teachers. And at Oskar's age, every girl, vampire or not, knew something we didn't. And it was terrifying.

Somehow, Let the Right One In pulls this off without copping out on creating a genuinely scary horror movie.

The only downside? You're not likely to find this one playing at your local multiplex, so check in at the local independent theater that plays foreign films. If you need help finding one of those, I recommend going for a walk and stopping the first guy you see with a Bay City Rollers haircut. Or, you know, save a pint of blood and Netflix it.